FIRST GRADER. BUT THE WAIT -- WAS WELL WORTH IT! CHRISTINA MORA HAS THE STORY. "A GROUP OF HARDIN COUNTY FIRST GRADERS THOUGHT WE WERE BRINGING OUR CAMERAS INTO THEIR SCHOOL TO SEE HOW WELL-MANNERED THEY ARE ... AND WHILE THEY WERE REALLY POLITE ... WE WERE REALLY HERE FOR ONE SPECIAL GIRL IN PARTICULAR." QUIETLY SITTING AT LUNCH -- SIX YEAR OLD LINDSEY OWENS -- HAS NO IDEA WHY WE'RE REALLY HERE. LAST MONTH -- IT WASN'T WHAT LINDSEY WANTED -- FOR CHRISTMAS. BUT WHO -- THAT GOT THIS BALL ROLLING. "SHE'S A DADDY'S GIRL THROUGH AND THROUGH." STAFF SERGEANT JON OWENS HAS BEEN IN AFGHANISTAN FOR THE PAST NINE MONTHS. TODAY -- HE'S HOME. "...WHAT ARE YOU EATING...WHAT ARE YOU EATING...COME HERE... ...HOW YA DOIN...DID YOU MISS ME...MMHMM." A SURPRISE -- WELL WORTH THE WAIT. AND LINDSEY IS HOLDING ON TIGHT. "I LOVE YOU KIDDO...LOVE YOU TOO...I TOLD YOU I'D COME HOME DIDN'T I? YA." AN OVERWHELMING REUNION -- "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW YOU DID I MISSED YOU TOO." -- AND THERE'S SO MUCH TO CATCH UP ON. "THAT TOOTH IS ABOUT TO COME OUT AINT IT?...YOU PULLIN IT OUT?" NINE MONTHS APART -- CAN FEEL LIKE AN ETERNITY -- ESPECIALLY AT LINDSEY'S AGE. "IIKE SINCE FOREVER, AND I HAD BEEN REALLY UPSET WHEN I WENT TO BED." THIS WAS SERGEANT OWENS' FOURTH DEPLOYMENT. HE SAYS LINDSEY AND YOUNGER BROTHER TANNER CHANGE SO MUCH WHILE HE'S GONE. "SHE LOOKS OLDER, SHE EVEN TALKS MORE MATURE." LINDSEY GETS TO GO HOME EARLY TODAY -- TO SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY WITH HER FAMILY -- AND HER WELL-DESERVED -- BELATED -- CHRISTMAS PRESENT. "I LOVE YOU DADDY. I LOVE YOU TOO KIDDO." "JON SAYS HE COULD BE DEPLOYED IN THE FUTURE SO THE FAMILY IS GOING TO TREASURE THEIR TIME TOGETHER NOW IN HAC CM WLKY NEWS." STAFF SERGEANT OWENS IS PART OF THE THIRD BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM -- FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION. THAT'S BASED OUT OF FORT